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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Chili Palmer is a shylock with mob connections working in Miami. However he is sick of the grind and it seems that his friends in the industry have a bad habit of dying. While chasing a deadbeat across America, he eventually ends up in Hollywood, where he decides to stay and start a new life. Besides, he has a killer idea for a movie and this is the town where dreams can come true…or do they?
It is no secret that Elmore Leonard has a bitter opinion towards Hollywood and Get Shorty allowed him to vent his feelings. In 1984 Leonard won an Edger Award (Best Novel) for his novel LaBrava and during the hype, Cannon Films brought the rights for a film adaptation. Dustin Hoffman had signed on to play former Secret Service agent Joe LaBrava in what was dubbed “the richest star deal in entertainment history”. Elmore Leonard had to do multiple rewrites (all unpaid) at the request of the star only to have Hoffman terminate his contract citing ‘contract desputes’. The reason behind Hoffman’s departure from the project was due to some advertising; Cannon Films two full page ads in some trade papers which showed him pictured under the heading “Welcome to the Cannon Family Dustin Hoffman”. His contract granted him final approval to all advertising for the upcoming movie.
When reading Get Shorty you get a real sense of Elmore Leonard’s bitterness towards Hollywood and the failed movie. According to IMdb Dustin Hoffman is 5’5” and his depiction in the novel is the over compensating Michael Weir (who was portrayed by Danny DeVito in the film adaptation). Despite what Leonard may have thought about the movie industry, Get Shorty turned into one of the great satires depicting Hollywood. The film adaptation was the next of his novels to make the transition to the screen, this time with only minor changes to the main plot. This lead the way to a range of great Elmore Leonard adaptations, from Jackie Brown, Out of Sight, Be Cool, 3:10 to Yuma and the TV show Justified.
Get Shorty is probably one of the best modern crime novels I have read in a long time. I tend to find that modern authors in the genre do not explore social issues within their books. Elmore Leonard was one of the best crime novelists and it was sad to lose him back in 2013. I plan to read the next book in the Chili Palmer series, Be Cool and I think I should rewatch the movies sometime soon as well.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://www.knowledgelost.org/literature/book-reviews/genre/pulp-fiction/get-shorty-by-elmore-leonard/
It is no secret that Elmore Leonard has a bitter opinion towards Hollywood and Get Shorty allowed him to vent his feelings. In 1984 Leonard won an Edger Award (Best Novel) for his novel LaBrava and during the hype, Cannon Films brought the rights for a film adaptation. Dustin Hoffman had signed on to play former Secret Service agent Joe LaBrava in what was dubbed “the richest star deal in entertainment history”. Elmore Leonard had to do multiple rewrites (all unpaid) at the request of the star only to have Hoffman terminate his contract citing ‘contract desputes’. The reason behind Hoffman’s departure from the project was due to some advertising; Cannon Films two full page ads in some trade papers which showed him pictured under the heading “Welcome to the Cannon Family Dustin Hoffman”. His contract granted him final approval to all advertising for the upcoming movie.
When reading Get Shorty you get a real sense of Elmore Leonard’s bitterness towards Hollywood and the failed movie. According to IMdb Dustin Hoffman is 5’5” and his depiction in the novel is the over compensating Michael Weir (who was portrayed by Danny DeVito in the film adaptation). Despite what Leonard may have thought about the movie industry, Get Shorty turned into one of the great satires depicting Hollywood. The film adaptation was the next of his novels to make the transition to the screen, this time with only minor changes to the main plot. This lead the way to a range of great Elmore Leonard adaptations, from Jackie Brown, Out of Sight, Be Cool, 3:10 to Yuma and the TV show Justified.
Get Shorty is probably one of the best modern crime novels I have read in a long time. I tend to find that modern authors in the genre do not explore social issues within their books. Elmore Leonard was one of the best crime novelists and it was sad to lose him back in 2013. I plan to read the next book in the Chili Palmer series, Be Cool and I think I should rewatch the movies sometime soon as well.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://www.knowledgelost.org/literature/book-reviews/genre/pulp-fiction/get-shorty-by-elmore-leonard/
God this was so good. the ending man! elmore leonard knows how to write endings
This book was a Buddy Read on the blog, so read TWO complete reviews on this book here:
www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/get-shorty-book-review
Many of you have likely seen the movie. There were a few times when my brain flashed and could picture John Travolta (perfectly cast as Chili!) sitting across from whichever other character, giving them "the look". The book is definitely worth reading, even if you've seen the movie.
I haven't read anything else by Leonard - found this suggestion on a Must Read list, so picked it up at the library. It was definitely worth it.
www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/get-shorty-book-review
Many of you have likely seen the movie. There were a few times when my brain flashed and could picture John Travolta (perfectly cast as Chili!) sitting across from whichever other character, giving them "the look". The book is definitely worth reading, even if you've seen the movie.
I haven't read anything else by Leonard - found this suggestion on a Must Read list, so picked it up at the library. It was definitely worth it.
My first introduction to the writing and the world of Elmore Leonard, and I have to say that I was delighted. This book introduces us to Chili Palmer, criminal and aspiring movie producer, and a novel full of lies, money-grubbing, and humour.
One thing that I didn’t expect going into this book was the humour. I thought it was really witty and sometimes actually just funny. Not only that, by Elmore Leonard’s writing style is just delicious. It really sucks you into the world of the story – his dialogue is so realistic it was like Chili was speaking in my ear.
The characters are stereotypical – we have the loan shark who easily tracks down his target and outwits his antagonists; we have the intimidating duo who are present throughout the novel; we have the man who converts; we have the dim-witted producer who gets outsmarted time and time again. Yet even though these classical stereotypes are present, they all feel new and refreshed. Leonard’s tale really brings a sense of delight upon reading.
I read this book for my crime fiction MA, and I think that even if it wasn’t on the reading list I may have ended up picking it up eventually. If you’re interested in crime or in LA, it’s definitely one for you. It shows the underworld of movies without it seeming too dark, and even if you don’t want to read it for the crime, definitely read it for the writing.
One thing that I didn’t expect going into this book was the humour. I thought it was really witty and sometimes actually just funny. Not only that, by Elmore Leonard’s writing style is just delicious. It really sucks you into the world of the story – his dialogue is so realistic it was like Chili was speaking in my ear.
The characters are stereotypical – we have the loan shark who easily tracks down his target and outwits his antagonists; we have the intimidating duo who are present throughout the novel; we have the man who converts; we have the dim-witted producer who gets outsmarted time and time again. Yet even though these classical stereotypes are present, they all feel new and refreshed. Leonard’s tale really brings a sense of delight upon reading.
I read this book for my crime fiction MA, and I think that even if it wasn’t on the reading list I may have ended up picking it up eventually. If you’re interested in crime or in LA, it’s definitely one for you. It shows the underworld of movies without it seeming too dark, and even if you don’t want to read it for the crime, definitely read it for the writing.
Wow. A very meta-novel where a movie plot develops from actual life events of the perps- uh, I mean characters. I hope that the 1995 movie does the book justice.